In Episode 26 of Elevated Conversations I had the pleasure of interviewing Baha’i-inspired hip hop artist jeph.ilosopher about his latest album “CANCEL.CULTURE.SHOCK”. I have followed jeph.ilosopher’s music for several years, but we only recently connected personally, and this interview was actually our first face-to-face conversation (albeit digitally)! We explored his journey as a Baha’i, his […]
In Episode 25 of Elevated Conversations, I reflect on my experience teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic with my dear friend, and fellow teacher, Ivan Enriquez. Ivan and I taught middle school this past school year at ACCLAIM Academy, a charter school in West Phoenix. Ivan was the social studies teacher, while I taught writing. We […]
Episode 24 of Elevated Conversations is a special one! The Baha’i-inspired artists collective “FRMWRK” recently released its debut music project, featuring 4 amazing songs! In this interview, we have the whole crew from the song “As One Become” share the story behind the song, break down the creative process, and lots of other elevated reflections! […]
In episode 23, I interview up-and-coming rapper, Gruffy, about our new song “Vibe”. Vibe is a chill and uplifting hip hop track focused on story telling and positivity. In the interview, Gruffy (aka Noah Salomon) and I discuss the story behind the song, how we met, Gruffy’s journey and aspirations as an artist and vegan, […]
STORY TIME!  So back in the early 2010’s, I discovered two of my biggest passions in life: music and youth empowerment. I started a junior youth empowerment group in the Sunnyslope neighborhood, and through the program, I have met SOOO many amazing young people in my community! My dudes Will and Brian are two […]
In episode 22, I interview my dear friend and musical collaborator, AWU Sing Song. AWU is a budding music superstar from Cameroon, Africa. But before AWU was making hit singles like “YaYaYo” and “If A Can, Can”, we collaborated on “Change The World”, a song, video, and album project created to uplift, educate, and inspire […]
In Episode 21 of Elevated Conversations I stumbled into fellow podcaster, Wyatt Morgano! Wyatt hosts a podcast called “Inner Sight”, which focuses on tapping into our spiritual perception through deep and meaningful conversations with friends Wyatt has met in his efforts to be of service to humanity and contribute to the betterment of the world. […]
“Love is the only way to rescue humanity from all its ills.” – Leo Tolstoy Love is a word with a profoundly deep meaning. In our everyday life, we use the word love in many different ways. From “I love my family” to “I love road trips” to “I love pizza”, we love to use […]
November 19th, 2020 was a special day! It marked the release of “Nothing But Love“, a musical collaboration between myself and my young homies W.ill and Brian.! In addition, it was also Will’s 18th’s birthday! What makes this song so special to me is that I have known Will and Brian since they were in […]
On October 28th, 2020, my wife Mallory birthed our newborn son, Justice Michael Justice. Like with our first son, Noble, Mallory made the choice to do an all natural home birth. We also utilized the Bradley Method of natural childbirth, which places the partner (myself) in the role of coach. Many people have asked us […]
In Episode 18, I bring back Emiliano “Diversoul” Morondos to unpack his latest album Baseline.Flowers. Diversoul is a Baha’i, emcee, Branch Director of the Gila River Komatke Boys and Girls Club, husband, and father, among many other things. His current focus is urgently railing against the superficial, disease of materialism, and systems of oppression. Clearly, he […]
What is racial prejudice? And how do we free ourselves from it? In Episode 17 of Elevated Conversations, I explore these questions with my good friend, Edward Peace, host of the new program “Ramblings of a Trying Baha’i”. This episode was actually part 2 of a conversation that unpacked some key concepts from the book “Advent of […]
“In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” —Martin Luther King, Jr. Those are the words that inspired Andrea Hope’s powerful new poem and book “Will You Break The Silence?: Poetic Practical Steps Toward Race Unity”. It’s a passionate call from a Black voice to […]
In Episode 15, I interview a very special person! Brian Roth. My best friend, best man in my wedding, and camera man behind all of my music videos. Brian and I discuss the concept of nobility. What does it mean to be “noble”? What are the challenges of being noble? How do we see nobility […]
Ever stopped to ponder on whether the music we consume, promote, and create accurately reflects the type of society we want to live in? In Episode 14 of Elevated Conversations, I explore this important question with the amazingly talented and inspiring Baha’i-inspired musician, Shadi Toloui-Wallace, as she shared about an exciting new project she is […]
